Rachel Colenso

On Saturday, Rosemary, my two year old daughter, and I set off to explore the private nature reserve called Basskloof. The perimeter is shared with the Redhill section of Table Mountain National Park, and the edge of Scarborough Conservation Village. Anyone can enter for a nominal fee of R10, purchased from the Mouse Trap shop in Scarborough. The small reserve has much to offer, with stunning views of the mountains in the Cape Point Nature Reserve, and the Atlantic Ocean. Many plant species thrive in the hilly terrain, and in October you can see an entire vlei of white Chin Cherinkees in the upper valley connecting Scarborough with Table Mountain National Park. In the winter months mountain springs, and little streams tumble over boulders into the valley. There is also an abundance of wildlife including birds, tortoises and.... not to be forgotten snakes. Rosemary was trotting a few metres ahead and from nowhere her legs were suddenly entwined with the body of a snake. Without hesitati

On Saturday, Rosemary and I set out on our first mini exploratory mission since my foot operation in June. Our aim was to locate a potensially new bouldering area, situated on the farm behind the Good Hope Nursery. The circuit is roughly 2km in length, something that can be accomplished with a small child, with many 'discovery' stops enroute and a good rest at the halfway mark. The first part of our uphill journey was on a clearly marked path, which eventually branched off with a newly formed track heading up to the line of boulders. Rosemary loved finding the the flowers and the half hidden signs indicating various fynbos species enroute. The path wound up between and round sculpted rocks, proteas and other plants. After about a kilometre we reached a sandstone outcrop forming a prominent ridgeline marking the upper reaches of the farm. Most of the boulder problems were not suitable for adults, as they were too short, but Rosemary enjoyed scrambling to the top of a few of th

Hooray! Today I discovered a pleasing review of my book in the July-August edition of Fitness Magazine. It was headed in the events section under a 'Fitness and Health Lifestyle'. Then was contacted by SABC to do an interview for the afternoon sports program on SAFM next Saturday. Since the operation on my foot there has been every good excuse to take things easy, including ofcourse the Cape winter storms. Perhaps this is the pre-spring wake up call to get out there and get fit again... There is a horizontal bar beneath our staircase beckonning to be pulled up on, there's a gym mat shouting 'sittups!', and a mountain behind our house screaming 'Climb Me!'..... see you later...

On Friday HWB Communications launched the 1000 Hearts Campaign in aid of The Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust. I was rather shocked to find that the staggering number of over 52 000 reported rapes per year in South Africa represent only a fraction of the actual number. 8 out of 9 cases go unreported. After hearing about the amazing service for victoms that The Rape Crisis provides we were invited to purchase a heart for someone we love, and to spread the word to encourage others to 'purchase a heart' on their on their website. For R100/month you can help a victom and their family obtain counselling and change their lives for the better. I have been thinking hard out a small way I could make a difference and will be holding a cake and coffee networking morning at my home. R20.00 will buy you a cake to go with your coffee (R5.00). By asking friends to treat a friend to cake and coffee we can spread the word and help victoms receive the help they need. Keep looking, and I will keep you

A great Lead up to Women’s Day On Thursday evening the Business Women’s Association Book Club invited me as their guest author. It was a fun event held at the Lion's Kloof Lodge in Higgovale. About twenty guests arrived and enjoyed soup and a glass of wine, sat at a long dinner table. The presentation went well, and my book seemed like a popular choice. It was a memorable evening. Huge leaps away from the stereo typical image of a book club, as... well... a touch dry. Not so with the 'Go-getter' members of the BWA. The atmosphere was friendly, fun and full of life, a definate must for any business woman wanting to join a book club with a lot of Zing.

Whilst the BWA has an assertive pressence in in the business world, there was once another BWA... One that made people dream of basking in the sun, whilst swinging gently from your hammock strung between two palm trees on a tropical beach, rum in one hand, novel in the other. British West India Airways (Also known as BWIA) once provided flights across the Atlantic to the Carribean Islands and some of the South American countries on the East coast. (Subsequently taken over by British Airways.) My talk tonight at the Business Womens Association Book Club is thousands of miles away from a Carribean vacation. It details amongst other things our dramatic survival through a storm in the Swiss Alps. Perhaps though, one of the business women attending will be thinking of a future break from their demanding jobs and the cold winter storms. They may purchase a holiday to the Carribean, where they will bask, book in one hand, rum cocktail in the other. I am hoping it will be my book they choose a